Pacific Chorale

Send AFTER HOURS items to the Daily Pilot, 330 W. Bay St., Costa Mesa 92627; fax them to (949) 646-4170; or call (949) 764-4330. A complete listing can be found at o7 www.dailypilot.comf7 . MUSIC SIMCHAFEST II The Jewish Community Center of Orange County will host SimchaFest II, a festival of Jewish music and humor, from 8 to 11 p.m. Saturday. The event will feature vocalist Nancy Linder, folk musician Osi Sladek, Borscht Belt comedian Archie Barkan and the Orange County Klezmers.

D onald and Dorothy Kennedy , one of Orange County's most philanthropic couples, hosted a recent underwriter's reception and dinner on behalf of the Pacific Chorale. The event unfolded in the Garden Room at First American Title, the international corporation led by the Kennedy family. More than $135,000 was raised at the gathering, which attracted 90 guests who came to underwrite the Pacific Chorale's upcoming holiday concert and gala. Organizers are calling the concert 'Tis the Season.

Once again Christmas came early this year as the super dedicated and giving folks who support the Pacific Chorale gathered for an early fall dinner at Big Canyon Country Club, Newport Beach, to raise funds needed to produce their annual holiday gala, "A Dickens Feast. " To set the stage for the fundraiser, Newport's dynamic Jan Landstrom was on the phone to Roger's Gardens in mid-September, requesting a fully-lighted and decorated holiday tree for the country club's dining room.

Not many people in today's world are fortunate enough to devote a lifetime to a career, a singular purpose and a passion. Even fewer people have the talent, the stamina and the vision to sustain that career and that passion for years, let alone decades. Last week in Orange County one man was honored for 40 years of service to his lifetime pursuit and for the difference it has made not just in this community, but on a national and international scale. John Alexander , artistic director of the Pacific Chorale, accepted a multi-encore standing ovation from a full house in the Renée and Henry Segerstrom Concert Hall on the occasion, debuting his 40th-anniversary season with the chorus that is considered one of the finest in America.

Two very glamorous Orange County women, Pat Rypinski and Patricia Ann Marshall, both of Newport Beach, greeted the arriving crush Thursday evening on the patio fronting the new Bridge of Gardens at South Coast Plaza. Some 150 guests converged on the terrace in support of the Candlelight Concert, a major holiday fund-raiser benefiting the Orange County Performing Arts Center and presented by the Center's board of directors. The terrace was transformed from its stark contemporary landscape into a magical European topiary garden replete with living statues.

Pacific Chorale has announced its 2000-2001 season at the Orange County Performing Arts Center with a plethora of musical artists including Musica Angelica, Pacific Symphony Orchestra and Bobby McFerrin. The four-concert season includes three performances with the 160-member chorale and a chamber performance with its 32-voice John Alexander Singers. The Pacific Chorale Children's Chorus also will be featured under the direction of Mary Ester Blakley. J.S. Bach's "Magnificat" will open the season at 7 p.m. Oct. 22. Alexander will conduct Musica Angelica and Pacific Chorale's John Alexander Singers in this program, which is called "Bach and Handel."

The Pacific Chorale begins 2007 on a high note. A holiday dinner event at the Center Club, Costa Mesa, netted $120,000 for the musical ensemble, which is a local treasure. Gala event chair Jan Landstrom of Newport Beach welcomed social leaders in support of Orange County arts, many of whom had come to join the chorale in paying tribute to another treasure, Floss Schumacher , recipient of the lifetime achievement award presented by the chorale. Schumacher resides in Las Vegas but was a longtime Newport resident and was involved in many community causes with her husband, Ed. In fact, the Schumachers were instrumental leaders championing many efforts not only in the arts but also in education and medical research.